


AVOS Rewritten: Apprentice's Quest

by M00nfeather



Series: A Vision Of Shadows Rewritten [1]
Category: Warrior Cats - Fandom, Warriors - Erin Hunter, a vision of shadows, a vision of shadows rewrite, alderpaw - Fandom
Genre: AVoS, Fan Rewrite, Other, Rewrite, Warrior Cats, a vision of shadows - Freeform, lgbt heavy, warriors - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-24
Updated: 2019-08-27
Packaged: 2020-05-19 01:17:25
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,475
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19346596
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/M00nfeather/pseuds/M00nfeather
Summary: A prophecy from Starclan should be the least of Alderpaw's problems: his twin sister is better at him at everything, his clan leader is pushing him to become a medicine cat, and he can't decide if he wants to reveal to the clan that he's not a she-cat like every cat thought. Still, the intruding thoughts and messages from his warrior ancestors tell him a shocking secret: there's a fifth clan, and they're in trouble.





	1. Allegiances

Thunderclan

Leader: Bramblestar - large, muscular tabby tom with amber eyes   
Deputy: Hollyleaf - long-legged black she-cat with pointed ears, fluffy tail, and green eyes  
Medicine Cat: Jayfeather - pale gray tabby tom, blind (blue eyes), and a long legs and tail 

Warriors:   
Brightgaze - white she-cat with ginger patches and one blue eye  
Thornclaw - reddish-brown tom with a darker stripe down his back   
Squirrelflight - ginger she-cat with a darker ginger tail   
Shrewleap - dark brown tom with darker toes, one green eye and one orange   
Blossomfall - calico she-cat with petal-like markings and blue eyes   
Lionblaze - light brown tabby tom with amber eyes  
Ivypool - white she-cat with gray tabby patches and dark blue eyes   
Mousewhisker - white tom with gray patches   
Rainwhisker - pale gray tom with darker speckles along his back and face  
Briarlight - pale brown she-cat with darker brown markings and light blue eyes. Paralyzed from her waist down   
Ambermoon - pale ginger tabby she-cat with bright yellow eyes   
Stormcloud - dark gray tom with long fur and orange eyes 

Apprentices:   
Alderpaw - dark ginger tabby tom with amber eyes   
Sparkpaw - ginger she-cat with a darker stripe down her back and tail with green eyes

Queens:   
Daisy - cream-colored she-cat with blue eyes   
Sorreltail - tortoiseshell and white she-cat with green eyes 

Elders:   
Sandstorm - pale ginger she-cat with green eyes   
Brackenfur - honey-brown tom with yellow eyes and large paws

 

Windclan

Leader: Onestar - white tom with ginger paws and tail   
Deputy: Harespring - pale brown tom with green eyes and a white tail and paws   
Medicine Cat: Kestrelflight - gray-brown tom with multicolored flecks down his back 

Warriors:   
Crowfeather - dark gray tom with long legs, bat-like ears, and blue eyes   
Nightcloud - black she-cat with a fluffy black tail and amber eyes   
Breezepelt - black tom with long legs, a fluffy tail, and amber eyes   
Gorsetail - pale gray she-cat   
Sedgewhisker - light brown nonbinary tabby  
Heathertail - pale tabby she-cat with blue eyes  
Oatclaw - pale ginger tom with darker spots   
Feathercloud - pale gray tabby she-cat with green eyes and a long tail  
Hootsong - dark gray tom with wing-shaped markings   
Larkwing - pale brown she-cat with a stubby tail   
Poppyfrost - calico she-cat with blue eyes   
Furzepelt - gray and white she-cat with spiky fur 

Apprentices:   
Smokepaw - dark gray tom with amber eyes   
Brindlepaw - dark brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Queens:   
Rosepetal - creamy she-cat with amber eyes - mother to Leafkit (tortoiseshell she-kit) and Honeykit (ginger she-kit) 

 

Elders:   
Whitetail - small white she-cat 

 

Shadowclan

Leader: Rowanstar - reddish-brown tom   
Deputy: Tigerheart - reddish brown tabby tom with tiger-like stripes and green eyes   
Medicine Cat: Littlecloud - small white tom with brown spots/patches and blue eyes 

Warriors:   
Tawnypelt - white she-cat with gray and ginger/brown patches and green eyes   
Crowfrost - black tom with white spots and flecks   
Dawnpool - pale ginger she-cat with a brown muzzle and paws   
Mistcloud - pale gray she-cat   
Snowbird - white she-cat with gray toes and tail tip   
Cloverfoot - gray tabby tom with darker markings and one white paw   
Berryheart - black and white she-cat   
Sparrowtail - large tabby tom with a spiky tail

Apprentices:   
Needlepaw - pale gray she-cat with a fluffy tail and green eyes   
Sleekpaw - pale ginger she-cat with blue eyes   
Beepaw - gray she-cat with black stripes down her tail and black ear-tips   
Juniperpaw - black tom with green eyes and a white chest

Queens:   
Grassheart - brown tabby she-cat   
Pinenose - black she-cat, mother to Birchkit (gray and white tabby tom), Lionkit (yellow tabby she-cat) and Puddlekit (white tom with brown patches and blue eyes) 

Elders:   
Oakfur - small brown tom   
Kinkfur - tabby she-cat with greasy, spiky fur 

 

Riverclan: 

Leader: Mistystar - blue-gray she-cat with blue eyes   
Deputy: Reedwhisker - black tom with green eyes   
Medicine Cat: Mothwing - yellow tabby she-cat with amber eyes   
Medicine Cat Apprentice: Willowshine - Dark gray tabby she-cat with green eyes 

Warriors:   
Mintleaf - pale gray she-cat with green eyes   
Podlight - gray and white tom   
Shimmerpelt - gray tabby she-cat   
Beetlewhisker - brown and white tom   
Heronwing - dark gray and black tom   
Lizardtail - light brown tom  
Havenlight - black and white she-cat   
Brackenpelt - tortoiseshell she-cat   
Rosefeather - pale ginger she-cat with green eyes   
Perchwing - gray and white she-cat   
Slightfoot - black tom with white front paws 

Apprentices:   
Foxpaw - russet-furred tom   
Shadepaw - dark gray tom 

Queens:   
Icewing - black she-cat with white wing markings, mother to Nightkit (black tom) and Applekit (pale ginger tom)   
Lakeheart - gray tabby she-cat 

Elders:   
Mosspelt - tortoiseshell and white she-cat


	2. Chapter One

Alderpaw dug his claws into the ground as Sparkpaw pranced past him, squirrel dangling from her jaws by the tail. He had almost caught it himself, but his paw had slipped and it had heard the leaf crunch under his weight, and then Sparkpaw had dove past him and tackled it with ease. Lionblaze brushed against his flank in an act of comfort, but Alderpaw couldn't look at him. They'd been training nearly three moons, and while Sparkpaw had advanced way beyond the average apprentice, Alderpaw seemed to have fallen behind even more than when he started. Sparkpaw's mentor, Sorrelstripe, touched her nose to her apprentice's ear, green eyes brimming with pride. Alderpaw stared down at his paws, and Lionblaze sighed and signaled with his tail for the apprentice to follow him. "Come on," he meowed, "why don't we try near the Windclan border while Sparkpaw takes that back to camp." Sorrelstripe seemed to get the hint and began leading Sparkpaw through the trees, picking up her apprentice's other catches along the way. Alderpaw could feel Lionblaze's gaze burning into him as they walked and he did his best to ignore it. He couldn't be the one to start the conversation, he couldn't bare hear the words that might come out of his mentor's mouth. He knew he was a disappointment, but Lionblaze had been nice enough not to mention it. He'd been trying so hard to teach him, with little to no success. It made Alderpaw's heart sink whenever he thought about it. "How are you doing?" the golden warrior asked suddenly. Alderpaw risked a glance up. Lionblaze's blue eyes seemed to see right through him, they always did. Maybe it was because they were kin, but he always seemed to understand him better than any cat. Sometimes even his mother, Squirrelflight. "I'm fine." "You and I both know that's not true. What's going on?" Alderpaw kept his gaze focused on the Windclan border ahead as they walked, trying to plan out what he would say. What _would_ he say? Was he supposed to pour his heart out right here in the woods when they were supposed to be hunting? He shook his head gently, trying to place all of the jumbled thoughts swirling in his head. His chest felt tighter with each pawstep, and his vision blurred at the edges, turning the trees and bushes into blobs of color.   
"Alderpaw?"   
He flinched at the sudden question, Lionblaze's voice a little too close to his ear for comfort.   
"S-sorry. I just...I don't feel very good."   
"Oh, what's wrong? Do you need to see Jayfeather?" Alderpaw grimaced silently. The last thing he needed was to see Thunderclan's grumpy, and quite frankly _rude_ , medicine cat.   
"No it's okay, It'll probably go away if we keep moving."   
"Alright...why don't you find out what you can scent around here then?"   
Alderpaw opened his mouth to drink in the air, only to rip at the grass when all he could smell were leaves and water from the stream nearby. He felt Lionblaze's fluffy tail on his shoulder.   
"Don't get frustrated. Try again and really focus."   
With a sigh, he closed his eyes and breathed in the scents of the forest again. He remained still for a long moment, hardly even letting himself breathe, until it finally hit him. There was something there, something other than woodland and flowers and grass. His eyes shot open.   
"Vole!"   
Lionblaze's whiskers twitched, nose scrunched a little. "Close...it's a mouse. Can you tell which direction it's in?"   
Chest already heavy due to his mistake, Alderpaw crept forward a little, searching for his prey. Now that his mentor had mentioned it, Alderpaw did recognize the scent as mouse, and was able to pick up its trail through the trees, Lionblaze following at a distance. He placed his paws as gently as possible, remembering his former mistake with the squirrel, until he spotted the little brown creature scuffling through the leaves at the base of a nearby birch tree. He zeroed in, but as he crept forward, a deep worry plagued his body, his fur became hot, his paws now shaky and tail tip twitching anxiously. What if he missed? What if it heard him and fled? What if some cat went hungry that night because he couldn't catch one simple piece of prey? His mind filled with 'what if's and he froze, eyes locked on his prey but somehow also unfocused. It wasn't long before he couldn't move at all. He wasn't sure how long he watched the mouse before Lionblaze hissed his name. Almost against his will, he launched himself forward, claws outstretched. The mouse heard him immediately and it buried itself in its hole beneath a tree root, the same tree root that Alderpaw tripped over and sent him flying forward into the dirt.   
"Mouse dung!" he cursed, and buried his nose into his paws. He buried it deeper when the sound of Lionblaze's pawsteps echoed in his ears.   
"What happened just now?" he asked gently, not a hint of impatience in his tone. It made Alderpaw sick. He felt a lick over his ear as his mentor curled up next to him on the ground, but it didn't give him any comfort. All he wanted to do was hide in a dark cave somewhere and sulk.   
"Alderpaw?"   
"I don't know. I'm sorry. I froze. I just got so nervous all of a sudden..."   
"Why don't we head back to camp?"   
Alderpaw dragged his gaze to his mentor's face. "But I haven't caught anything yet..."   
Lionblaze nudged Alderpaw to his feet and began leading him away from the border. "That's okay. We can try again tomorrow. It's getting dark now. Besides..."   
Alderpaw didn't need him to finish to know what he was going to say. Sparkpaw had caught enough to feed half the clan already. No cat needed him. He leaned heavily against Lionblaze's shoulder as they walked, eyes fixed to the ground and mind blank. The entire walk back to camp was silent and somewhat uncomfortable, though there weren't many other cats Alderpaw would rather be with while he was feeling so odd. He followed his mentor closely through the entrance to camp, fur on end at the sudden amount of cats in one space. He saw Sparkpaw's firey orange pelt glimmering in the sunlight near the elders den, the squirrel she'd caught earlier shared between Cloudtail and Sandstorm. He lowered his head and tried to hide behind Lionblaze's taller frame as they made their way to the medicine den.   
"I don't need to see Jayfeather, I just wanna sleep," he meowed.   
Lionblaze rolled his eyes. "You need to calm down and get something to eat. You've been off for days, maybe you're sick."   
"I'm not sick."   
"I'd feel a lot more comfortable if you'd go see him anyway, just to be sure. Okay?"   
Alderpaw nodded once and began the climb to the medicine den, exhaustion hitting his body as he dragged himself up the rock path. Jayfeather was sorting herbs near the back of the den, placing differently shaped leaves into four neatly stacked piles.   
"What is it?"   
"I was just...hoping I could get some herbs or something to calm down."   
"What happened?"   
"I don't know. Something happened today while hunting...I'm not really sure what."   
Jayfeather rose to his paws and touched his nose to Alderpaw's forehead.   
"Do you feel sick?"   
"Er, not necessarily...at least not right now. It only happens during.."   
Jayfeather's ears perked a little. "Happens? It's happened before then? How many times?"   
Alderpaw's fur grew hot from the medicine cat's questioning. "Um...all my life I guess...? When I get nervous."   
"And you haven't brought it up before?"   
Alderpaw felt his neck fur rise a little at the condescending tone. "I've been a little busy."   
Jayfeather scoffed. "With what, alerting all the prey around the lake by stepping on twigs and missing catches? Sparkpaw has been flaunting her squirrel all evening, the whole camp has heard by now how she rescued that botched hunt from you. Maybe if you had come to me sooner, you wouldn't be having so much trouble. I have a few ideas."   
Alderpaw was about to hiss a retort when the gray tabby slid him a leaf topped with little brown seeds.   
"Here, eat these. The leaf too. They'll help you relax and get some rest. Come back tomorrow though, I'd like to hear more about these fits that you're having."   
He lapped up the seeds and forced down the bitter leaf, meowed a quick thanks to his clanmate, and padded out of the den and into the open camp. He located Lionblaze near the highledge exchanging a few words with the Thunderclan leader, Bramblestar, and quickly turned away from them. His mentor had ordered him to eat, but he wasn't hungry. How could he eat when he didn't even bring anything back? He began the walk to the apprentice's den, tail dragging. As he flopped into his nest, head propped on the leaves and moss woven in, he let his eyes droop while he watched the daily lives of his clanmates. Squirrelflight was sharing tongues with his father, Shrewleap, in the last patch of sunlight, peaceful content in each of their eyes. Ambermoon, who had just recently been made a warrior, was trotting across camp to join Mousewhisker and Rainwhisker for an evening patrol of the Shadowclan border. Their lives were so easy, and they never stopped. Alderpaw was fascinated by them, and let his thoughts wander as he slipped into sleep. 

~ ~ ~ 

Alderpaw's eyes shot open as a wave of cold water crashed down on him, though it didn't carry his paws off the sandy stone floor of the gorge he was standing in. Panic flooded his chest as he glanced up and saw a dark and cloudy sky, rain pouring all around him but somehow never quite touching his fur. Despite the waves and the rain, his pelt was completely dry. A flash of lightning ahead revealed a large boulder that stood out above the waves, and standing atop it, a large white cat. His orange eyes bore down on Alderpaw, expressionless, as another wave rose behind him. A voice boomed throughout the gorge, but Alderpaw couldn't tell exactly where it was coming from or how far away it was. It sounded both in his ear and very far away at the same time.   
 _"Alderpaw...you must find us...help us, Alderpaw! Help us! Help us!"_  
The voice turned into multiple, all screaming at him at once, all repeating the same phrase.   
  
 _"Help us!"_

**Author's Note:**

> This au is QUITE different than the canon storyline. There's a lot that's the same, but there's also a lot of differences that may make it hard to follow. A few notes:  
> \- Shrewpaw lived to become Shrewleap, and he and Squirrelflight become mates  
> \- Brambleclaw and Crowfeather are the Three's parents  
> \- Alderpaw is a trans boy, bisexual  
> \- a lot of characters have been killed off or deleted from the storyline


End file.
